Improved evaforating-fan for sorghum-juice



ALFRED J. JOHNSON,` OF' LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF OF iIIIS.RIGrH'l-TO JAMES/WILHELM, OF'SAME PLACE.

Letters .Patent No. 97 ,199, dated November 23, 1869,

I Y I IMlPRO'VED EVAPORATINGI-PAN FOR SQRG-HUM-JUICE.

'.I.l:ie Schedule referrd to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Y To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LFRED J .'J onNsoN, ofLouisville, in the county of'Jeex-son, and State of lKentucky, have invented certain `new and useful Improvements in Sugar-Evaporators; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and', exact description thereof', sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, to fully understand land "to make and use the sa'me, reference being had to the l accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification,'-and in which my invention is yrepresented .by a perspective view.' I j My invention comprises the following improvements, viz: Making the bottoms of the pans' of cast-iron, for a purpose `to be described, and providing said bottoms with wooden sides; casting two ribs on each side of the bottom, nbetween which' thel ,WoodenA sides of the panV are secured; forming depressions in' the cast bottoms of the coagulating-pans, at their ends, for purposes of drainage; the provision of a gate of peculiar construction, which sinking into the depression in the bottom of the first coagulator, causes the clarilied juice'to pass into the second pan, separated from the green scum which remains behind; and the construction of the finisher-like 4the coagulators, but with a depression `of different form and a peculiar discharge or outlet.

My invention will be-fnlly understood from the fol- .lowing detail description.

Referring to the drawing- A represents the first coagnlator, and B,the second, bot-l1 resting on top of a furnace, C.

D is the semi-sirup trough, and

E, the inishingpan, heated by a ,fire in the furnace F.

It has long since been discovered, that in'order to beat of the fire is' not equalized and regulated over the whole surface of the bottom. i

Gast-iron pans have been used to a very limited exteutfbut` tbey'were cast with vertical'sidcs, and this has prevented their general adoption, for. the reason that a line of burned matter would be formed, extending entirely around the sides atthe' level ofthe juice,

and vthis would discolor and injure the quality of all` juice thereafter boiled in the pan, until the latter .has been cleaned.

I make my vpans with vcast-,iron bottoms provided with nciined wooden sides, and so constructed and arranged.

as toV preclude the possibility of boiling a quantity of juice exceeding .a half-inch in depth.

A pan, with a bottom perfectly level atd all times, is thus obtained, and onewhich equalizes and regulates the heat by itsv weight or `body of metal and even surface. 4

Juice treated in these pans cannot beburned, although its depth is less than la quarter of an inch.

These bottoms are cast with two ribs, c a, at each side, between which ribs are fixed the inclined wooden sides G G.

Between the bottom of the pan and the wooden sides are interposed layers of packing to prevent leaka re.

531m. represents this packingY laidi between the ribs a c.

It will be seen that the-ribs a a are soA made-at the ends as to extend upward on the flanges or ends ln n of the pans, to give strength, and prevent leakage at the corners.

'lhe ends or flanges n n of the pans are cast with c represents what may be termed a gate, made with an inverted pitcher-lip, i., which sinks into the depres- -sion c in the bottom, thus causing the juice to ow below the bottom level of the pan, before its passage into the second pan B.

The green scum being upon the surface of the juice, is prevented, by the peculiar pitcher-lip, from entering the second coagulator B.

The pans A B are secured together by means of an ordinary molasses-gate, l, with a' straight tubular porl tion, which also answers as the passage through which the contents ofthe first pan are discharged into .pan B.

Upon this tubular portion or shaft is irst-screwed a collar or nut, and the said shaft is then screwed into the end of pan A, on a level with the bottom of the depression In the contiguous flange of the pan B is formed a notch, which receives thetubular portion or shaft of the gate.

IheA nut or collar is then screwed up against the notched flange,l thus holding the adjacent anges of the two pans in contact, and preventing leakage.

f represents a pipe, which enters the depression d in the pan B, and is swivelled in the end of said pan.

By means of this pipe, which I `term a swing-pipe, the contents of the second coagnlator are discharged into the semi-Sirup trough. Y

`By adjusting this swing-pipe to the proper elevation, the contents ofthe coagulat-ormay be prevented from being entirely discharged, when desired.

A similar swing-pipe, g, forms the communication between the semi-sirup troughand finishing-pan.

lhe finishing-pan is constructed like the coagulators,

y with this exception: the bottom is cast with a depresits progress is stopped, the gates e l being closed until' suicient coagulation takes place, and there is a depth of about a quarter of an inch of juice on the bottom.

The gate leading into pan Bris then opened slightly', permitting theescape of the partially-clariiied juice in a slow but steady stream, the depth of juice above stated (a quarter of an inch, more or less,) being maintained in the first pan, throughout the day, by the continuous supply of fresh juice.

As soon as suicient coagulation has taken place, the green sum is removed over the sidesof the pan into scum;troughs, as shown, or other receptacles, by means of a skimmer.

As above described, the peculiar-shaped lip on gate c prevents the passage of green scum into pan B.

'lhe partially-clariiied juice is allowed to ilow into the second pan until the depth attained is the same as in the first pan, the swing-pipe] remaining elevated -until this time.

The pipe is now depressed to'such a degree as to permit the regular and continuous tlow'of the semisirup into the trough D, it being understood thatonly the surplus over a quarter of an inch, or thereabout,

' is thus permitted to escape, that depth remaining constantly in the pan, thus obtaining the continuous inow of green juice andouttlow of clarified semi-sirup" at any degree of density desired..

The sirup` is nished .upon the finishing-pan in batches, or strikesf so that there may be a' uniform density of sirup attained.

This pan is filled to the required depth by the depression of the swing-pipe g attached to the semisirup trough. l

When the proper density has been attained, the scraper or lute (which I prefer to provide with packing ou its contact-surface) is introduced at the front end of thepan, with its handle elevated at an angle of about forty-tive degrees.

The gate p, atthe mouth of the discharge, is now opened by means of the rod j, and .the swing-pipe g is depressed so asl to discharge semi-sirup into the space between the scraper and the end x of the pan.

The scraper is now-moved toward the discharge-end of the pan, carrying thernished sirup before it, the semi-sirup following immediately after, allowing no portion of the bottom, to become exposed, and thus precluding the possibility of scorching the sirup or losing any time or heat. v

The scraper is moved up to the edge of the depres- `sion h, which, being inclined, causes a rapid and perfeet drainage.

When the finished sirup has'been all discharged `from the pan, the gate p is closed by means of its rod, the scraper' is removed from the pan, and the several operations proceed as before.

.Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' A 1. Sugar-pans, made with a cast-iron bottom and wooden sides, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

9.` The herein-described method of preventing lea age, by securing the wooden sides of the pans between ribs a a, cast with the bottom, and provided with packing, all substantially as set forth.

3. The bottoms, castwith depressions c d, and the gate, with lip t, sinking into the depression c, substantially as described, for the4 purpose specified.

4. The finishing-pan,.constructed with the inclined depression. h, covered channel o, and gate p, all sub-l stantially as described. 4- Y ALFRED J. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

E. H. MAPOTHER, E. F. HUYGK. 

